Edward M. Stern

Since April 2004, Ed Stern has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Neptune Regional Transmission System, LLC ("Neptune RTS"), developer and owner of the Neptune Project -- an approximately $650 million, 660 megawatt, 65 mile long, undersea, high-voltage, electric transmission system that interconnects the mid-Atlantic electricity system (PJM) at Sayreville, New Jersey with Long Island, New York. In June 2004, the Long Island Power Authority selected the Neptune Project after a competitive RFP process. After obtaining all of the required permits and approvals -- and completing a successful private placement with a group of institutional lenders -- in July 2005, the Neptune Project commenced operation in the summer of 2007, ahead of schedule and within budget.

From April 1991 through February 2004, Mr. Stern was employed by Enel North America, Inc. - the North American subsidiary of the Italian electric utility Enel SpA (NYSE: EN) -- and its predecessor company, CHI Energy, Inc., an energy company which owned and/or operated nearly one hundred power plants in seven countries, specializing in renewable energy technologies including hydroelectric projects and wind farms. Mr. Stern joined CHI as the company's General Counsel; he was elected President and joined the board in 1997 and was elected CEO in 1999. After negotiating the sale of CHI to Enel in December 2000, Mr. Stern served as President and CEO of Enel North America and Enel Latin America for three years.

 

Prior to joining CHI, Mr. Stern was a Vice President with BayBanks, Inc., a Boston-based $10 billion financial services organization, where for six years he specialized in energy project finance, real estate restructurings and asset management.

 

Mr. Stern currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Energy Photovoltaics, Inc., a Princeton, NJ based-manufacturer of solar energy products and systems; Rentech, Inc. (AMEX: RTK), a global leader in the development of ultra-clean fuels and chemicals; and Capital Access Network, Inc., a small business lender.  He also serves on the Advisory Board of Starwood Energy Group Global, LLC, a private equity firm specializing in energy and infrastructure investments.

 

Mr. Stern received BA, JD and MBA degrees from Boston University and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar and the Federal Energy Bar.

 

Mr. Stern resides in Connecticut with his wife and five children.

Jeffrey T. Wood

Jeff Wood is Senior Vice President, primarily responsible for leading the financing effort for the Hudson Transmission Project.  Wood is a former managing director at the investment bank Société Générale, where he was responsible for serving as financial advisor and for arranging $600 million in non-recourse project financing for the Neptune transmission project, a 660-MW, 51-mile undersea transmission cable completed in June of 2007.

 

Wood has nearly 20 years of experience in project finance with involvement in raising more than $7 billion in debt and equity.  Most recently, he was a Senior Vice President with Noble Environmental Power of Essex, Connecticut, where he was responsible for raising more than $700 million of non-recourse debt and $200 million of tax equity for a portfolio totaling 330 MW of windpower in New York State.  His finance experience also includes positions with J.P. Morgan Chase and Wachovia Securities, where he has been active in the financing of major energy projects both in the U.S. and internationally.

 

Wood graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude; he also holds an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. 

Thomas G. Beaumonte

Thomas Beaumonte serves as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Mr. Beaumonte has 20 years experience as a senior financial executive in planning, operations, strategic planning, budgeting, cost reduction and financial reporting for both domestic and international companies. Prior to joining Neptune RTS, Mr. Beaumonte served as Vice President, Comptroller and Treasurer of Enel North America, Inc. and its predecessor company, CHI Energy, Inc.

Previously, Mr. Beaumonte served as Director of UBS Warburg, Inc. of New York, Treasurer and Assistant Controller of Republic New York Securities Corporation of New York, Vice President of Lehman Brothers Holdings of New York, and Supervisory Senior at Ernst & Young of New York.

Mr. Beaumonte is a graduate of Lehigh University (B.S.), a Certified Public Accountant and is licensed by the National Association of Securities Dealers (Series 7).

Ernest B. Griggs

Ernie Griggs joined Neptune as the Project Manager in 2005. Mr. Griggs brings over 30 years of large scale project management, HVDC, and electric power industry experience in bulk power generation, transmission and operations, primarily in the northeastern United States.

While at New England Power Co., his responsibilies included project management of Phase I and II of the 2,250 MW HVDC Interconnection between New England and Hydro-Quebec, oversight of a 1,200 MW hydroelectric system, and project management of the Bear Swamp hydroelectric pumped storage project.

Most recently,Mr. Griggs was business development manager for PB Power, a consulting firm that is part of the Parsons Brinckerhoff companies. He was previously Director of Operations for New England Power during its transition to PG&Es National Energy Group with operational responsibilities across the New England asset portfolio.

Mr. Griggs graduated from Vermont Technical College with a degree in Electromechanical Engineering and from Lesley University with a degree in Management.

James P. Nash

Jim Nash joined Neptune as Vice President of Engineering in 2007 and has provided engineering consulting services for the Neptune RTS Project. Mr. Nash has over 24 years experience in the fields of electric power engineering and project development for various generation, transmission, and distribution projects.

Mr. Nash's professional career includes multiple assignments while with the New England Electric System (NEES, now National Grid US) including its Global Transmission group. Mr. Nash was Project Director for the Cross Sound Cable Project, later purchased and developed by TransEnergie US, which Mr. Nash joined in 1998. Mr. Nash was NEES Project Manager for the first 26-mile Nantucket Submarine Cable Project and Project Engineer for the 800-ampere Lisbon Ground Electrode serving the New England - Hydro Quebec HVDC Intertie.

With EBASCO (now Washington Group) from 1987 to 1993, Mr. Nash's substation projects included the NYPA to Long Island Y-49, 345 kV Submarine Cable and the 345 kV cable interconnection for Consolidated Edison's Goethals Substation to the Linden Cogeneration Facility in New Jersey.

Mr. Nash received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Clarkson University in 1982, is a Registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and a Senior Member of the IEEE Power Engineering Society.

Charles J. Micciche

Charles Micciche is Neptune's Vice President of Construction. Mr. Micciche has over 20 years experience in managing the operation, maintenance and construction of power generation facilities in both the union and open shop environment. His most recent projects involved the construction of a 500 MW combined cycled gas fired plant in Westbrook, Maine followed by a similar facility in Johnston, Rhode Island. As project manager for both projects he had overall responsibility for achieving safety, productivity, quality, schedule and financial goals.

Mr. Micciche previously served as Manager of Construction for Public Service Electric and Gas in New Jersey. In this capacity he managed a $1.5 billion, five-year repowering program. He also was a plant manger and served in a variety of department head roles involving maintenance, controls and operations at conventional and nuclear facilities.

Mr. Micciche graduated from the Stevens Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Engineering and has attended the Rutgers Senior Management Program and the Texas A&M Construction Executive Program.

J. Christopher Hocker

Chris Hocker joined Neptune RTS as Vice President of Planning after 20 years of experience in the electric power industry that encompasses project planning, licensing and permitting, government and community relations, business development, and corporate communications. Between 1990 and 2004, he was employed by Enel North America, Inc., and its predecessor company, CHI Energy, Inc. With CHI, he initially focused on licensing, planning, and government and community relations for a proposed 1500-MW power project, responsible for preparing a successful siting application for the project generating facility as well as a separate siting application for a related 345-kW transmission line.

He later served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, for CHI and Enel North America, part of the senior management team responsible for corporate development. He served on the board of directors of the National Hydropower Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade association of utility and independent hydropower owners, for nine years, including one year as president of the association in 2000-2001.

Previously, Mr. Hocker was a communications consultant for companies involved in the engineering, energy, and environmental fields and a Contributing Editor of Independent Energy magazine for several years, writing numerous articles on various business aspects of the independent power industry. Mr. Hocker holds a BA degree from Stanford University.

Kathy Neary

Kathy Neary, Accounting Manager for Neptune RTS, joined the company with more than 10 years of accounting and financial management experience. After starting her career with Arthur Andersen, she joined CHI Energy, Inc. and its successor company, Enel North America, Inc. and held the position of Manager of Finance, responsible for corporate financial analysis as well as oversight of insurance matters for more than 80 energy facilities. Ms. Neary is a CPA and holds Bachelor's and MBA degrees from Fairfield University.

Arline Clayburn

Arline Clayburn joined Neptune RTS in 2005 as Office Manager and Executive Assistant. Prior to joining Neptune, she worked for CHI Energy, Inc. and its successor company,Enel North America, Inc., for 12 years as Office Manager and Administrative Assistant. She previously had run her own administrative services business and had held various administrative positions in the personnel, legal, and accounting departments of Chase Bag, Lone Star Industries, United Parcel Service, and the tax accounting firm of Messina, Ceci, Archer & Company.